Humidifier



NOV. 26, I y F A EUS-ns HUMIDIFIER Filed March 20. 1925 @www Patented Nov. 26, 1929 UNiTED ST TES FREDERIC A. EUSTIS, OF MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS Application led March 20, 1925. Serial No. 17,146.

This invention relates to humidiiiers, and more especially to such apparatus arranged in independent units adapted for association with heating elements, for effecting the auto- `lnatic and regulated moistening of the atmosphere.

1t is a commonly accepted fact that an artificially heated atmosphere is not only low in absolute moisture content but also of extreme ly low humidity. That is, the ratio of the contained moisture in such an atmosphere to the amount which it is capable of retaining in vapor phase is much lower than is normally attained by the outside atrnosphere,except under very unusual conditions. Accordingly, its drying effect is greatly enhanced, and becomes of such an order that it frequently causes personal discomfort in several different ways, one of which is a resulting feeling cf chilliness, even in a room of relatively elevated temperature.

Various expedients have been resorted to, to counteract this tendency, typified by the custom of placing vessels of water upon the heating devices employed, such as radiators and the like. Such devices require continued attention, replenishing the water, cleaning, and so forth. Moreover, for such devices to become effective it is practically essential either to use hot water or to wait until the temperature of the water is raised sui'iiciently to promote appreciable evaporation.

Accordingly it is an object of the presenty invention to provide a humidifier which shall V operate automatically, both with respect to the supply of water (or other liquid to be evaporated) and to the promotion of an effective rate of vaporization even before the liquid has become heated appreciably. It is a further object to provide for the removal of any liquid excess, which is liable to accumulate and drip froml such apparatus, due either to a surplus supply or subsequent conn densation. It is also an object to make an 15 apparatus susceptible of modifications as to size and shape of the several units thereof and of the complete apparatus, as a whole.

The invention comprises in its preferred embodiment an outer casing of suitable size i' and design, preferably perforated to permit the free circulation of air therethrough, a liquid reservoir connected with a water tap and having a float-valve control, and one or more porous chambers, later to be described in greater detail, connected with the reser- 5r) voir in any convenient manner to receive the liquid therefrom. Annular troughs surrounding thc porous chambers and leading 'to a common drain serve to conduct away therefrom any excessl quantity of the liquid 60, which may percolate through the porous walls.

A typical arrangement of parts, representative of the invention in its application to the usual type of radiator, is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view, with the top or cover plate removed and parts broken away; and

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same, along the plane 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a tank or reservoir, suitable for the retention ofthe liquid to be evaporated, which is provided with an inlet supply pipe 2 controlled by a valve 3 automatically regulated by a float 4 in a suitable and well known manner. At or near the bottom of the reservoir there are provided (in the present instance, two) outlet pipes indicated by numeral 5, each being connected to a header 6 having a plurality of outlets 7 in its upper portion. Surrounding each of these outlets is positioned a flat plate or disc 8 of suicient area to support a cup 9 thereon and having a rim 10 at its periphery so disposed with respect to the porous cup 9 as to form an annular channel 11 therewith. As in the construction shown, these discs are made integral with the header 6 and with each other, the annular channels 11 connecting one with another and having at one end a lip 12 adapted to conduct the overflow therefrom into a lateral channel 13 leading to the drain 14.

The cups 9 are cylindrical in shape and provided with porous walls, having an opening 15 in the bottom, adapted to register with an opening Z in the header 6, the connection being rendered more secure by a waterproof cement such as red lead and glycerine, sulfur or the like. The tops of the.y cups are preferably open, but it may in some instances be desirable to provide them with covers.

A sheet metal casing 16 may be added to surround the assembly of porous cups, and is fastened to the reservoir 1 as by screws 17, while a flat cover-piece or top 18 rests thereon and covers both the top of the reservoir 1 and the series of porous cups as shown in Fig. 2. The casing 16 and cover 18 are preferably perforated in such manner as to impede the passage of air around and between the porouswalled cups as little as possible. To this end the plates 8 are also shaped and proportioned to permit the free circulation of air upward therebetween. In the embodiment shown for example there is an appreciable space 19 between successive and adjacent discs.

In the practical application of the device (as to the usual type of steam radiator) it is assembled as above described and set upon the radiator as an independent and complete piece of apparatus. Connection is then made between the supply pipe 2 and a water tap while the drain 14 is led to a suitable waste pipe for carrying off any surplus.

In operation, the float 4 will open valve 3 of supply pipe 2 until a suitable head of water has accumulated in reservoir 1- and causes a similar liquid level to be ttained in each of the porous cups 9 through header 6, when it will shut olf further supply from the water tap. The water thus delivered to these cups permeates through their porous walls to the exterior surfaces from which it evaporates into the adjacent atmosphere. The hot air from the radiator below (not shown) passes upward through the spaces 19.`contacts with the outer surfaces of these porous walls and accelerates evaporation therefrom, more or less in proportion to its temperature and inversely proportional to its already attained humidity. The moisture laden air continues to rise and passes out through openings in the cover piece 18 Vor through openings in the side walls of the casing 16 and into the room.

In case the water permeates the walls of the porous cups 9 more rapidly than it is evaporated from the outer surfaces thereof it runs down and collects `in the corresponding troughs or channels 11 and runs thence over the lip 12 and is carried olf by the trough 13 to the drain 111thus preventing overflow and consequent inconvenience or damage to the surroundings. Obviously such excess may be controlled by the location and adjustment of float valve l to provide a rate of supply not in excess of the normal rate of evaporation from the cups. But this result may also be effected by proper selection and control of the permeability factor of the porous walls of the cups under the normal operating conditions when full, partly full, and so forth and atmospheric circulation induced by the heater with which the humidifier is to be employed. F or example, in cases of eX- tremely rapid evaporation conditions of low permeability there may be no necessity of providing' a drainage for the excess, though it will usually be desirable by way of precaution.

It is also to be understood that the humidilier thus provided, while described with reference to its more common application to the usual heaters or radiators used for heating,` the air may also be used in other connections, as for drying rooms, air conditioning` apparatus and the like. Moreover, it may equally well be employed for the vaporization of liquids other than water, such as insecticides, germicides, disinfectants, etc.

Obviosuly to accommodate the invention to different surrounding circumstances of use the number and size of the pieces of apparatus used in any given instance willV be varied accordingly, and likewise the size and number of the several units of which it is composed. lluniero'us modifications in the shape and arrangement of parts may also be made within the invention. But such variations'and modifications are considered to be comprehended by the present disclosure and within the terms of the following claims.

I claim 1. A lunnidilier comprising a porouswalled chamber having a vent at the upper end, a conduit communicating5` with the lower end of said chamber, and means for automatically supplyingl liquid to said chamber through said conduit at a rate proportional to the passage of liquid through the porouswalled chamber, thereby to maintain the level below said vent.

2. A humidifier comprising a series of porous-walled chambers arranged in a row,

and a supply conduit extending beneath the chambers and communieating` therewith, said conduit having a recess on its upper side to receive drippings from said chambers.

3. A humidifier comprising, a porouswalled chamber, and a liquid supply conduit disposed beneath the chamber and communicatinp,` therewith, said conduit having` a recess on its upper side to receive drippings from the chamber.

ll. A humidifier comprising` a plurality of porous-walled chambers arranged in parallel rows, a supply conduit extending` beneath each row and communicating with each chamber in the row, each of said conduits having a recess on its upper side to receive drippings from the containers associated there-l with, and a drain extending transversely of said rows to receive liquid from each of said recesses.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts this 19th day of March, 1925.

FREDERIC A. EUSTIS. 

